H.R. 5304 — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This section limits salaries and bonuses for Job Corps personnel, whether as direct costs or any proration as indirect costs, to the Executive Level II rate using funds appropriated by this Act.

This section authorizes the transfer of up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated for the Department of Labor for the current fiscal year between a program, project, or activity, with no such program, project, or activity increased by more than 3% by any such transfer. The authority may not be used to create any new program or to fund any project or activity for which no funds are provided in this Act, and the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations must be notified at least 15 days in advance.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for procuring goods mined, produced, manufactured, or harvested, or services rendered, in whole or in part, by forced or indentured child labor in industries and host countries identified by the Department of Labor prior to enactment, in accordance with Executive Order 13126.

This section restricts funds made available to the Department of Labor for grants under section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (H-1B Technical Skills Training grants)—which are funded by H-1B visa fees to train U.S. workers for high-skill jobs—to competitive grants for training individuals older than 16 years of age who are not currently enrolled in school within a local educational agency (i.e., K-12 school) in occupations and industries for which employers use H-1B visas, and related supporting activities.

This section prohibits recipients and subrecipients of funds appropriated by this Act to the Employment and Training Administration from using such funds to pay salaries or bonuses exceeding Executive Level II, either as direct or indirect costs. The prohibition does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133, and states receiving such funds may impose a lower salary cap on subrecipients based on factors including cost-of-living, comparable state or local government compensation, and the size of administering organizations.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to transfer funds available to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) for technical assistance services to grantees to “Program Administration” if determined more efficiently performed by federal employees, notwithstanding section 102 (except such transfers do not apply to section 171 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). The section further authorizes transfers of up to 0.5% of each ETA discretionary appropriation to “Program Administration” for program integrity activities—including up to 0.5% from paragraphs (1) and (2) of the “Office of Job Corps” account to paragraph (3)—notwithstanding section 102, with transferred funds available for obligation directly or through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements through September 30, 2027.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to reserve not more than 0.75% of appropriations for specified Department of Labor accounts to fund evaluations of programs or activities within those accounts. Funds reserved under this section are transferred to the Departmental Management account for use by the Office of the Chief Evaluation Officer and remain available through September 30, 2027, provided the Chief Evaluation Officer submits an evaluation plan to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 15 days prior to any transfer. The specified accounts are: “Training and Employment Services”; “Job Corps”; “Community Service Employment for Older Americans”; “State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations”; “Veterans' Employment and Training”; “Employee Benefits Security Administration”; “Office of Workers' Compensation Programs”; “Wage and Hour Division”; “Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs”; “Office of Labor Management Standards”; “Occupational Safety and Health Administration”; “Mine Safety and Health Administration”; “Office of Disability Employment Policy”; and funding for the “Bureau of International Labor Affairs” and “Women's Bureau” within the “Departmental Management” account.

This section establishes a two-year exemption from overtime requirements under section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—which generally requires time-and-a-half pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek—for employees of non-insurance employers who adjust or evaluate claims related to a major disaster declared by a state or federal agency. To qualify, employees must (1) earn average weekly compensation of at least $591 (or the DOL Secretary's minimum, if greater); (2) perform specified duties (e.g., interviewing insureds or witnesses, inspecting damage, evaluating claims, negotiating settlements, or recommending litigation); and (3) hold required licenses, with employers maintaining workers' compensation coverage (if required) and withholding applicable taxes; the exemption does not affect the FLSA's executive, administrative, or professional exemption under section 13(a)(1).

This section provides seafood industry employers with an approved H-2B petition (i.e., for temporary nonagricultural workers) flexibility to bring nonimmigrants into the United States at any time during the 120-day period beginning on the petition's start date without filing another petition, subject to a new local labor market assessment after 90 days that requires listing job orders in local newspapers on two separate Sundays, posting on the Department of Labor Electronic Job Registry and at the worksite, and offering the job to any equally or more qualified U.S. worker who applies and is available at the time and place of need. (Thus, such employers may stagger worker arrivals without violating Department of Labor staggering rules under 20 CFR 655.20(d) or other applicable law.)

This section establishes the prevailing wage for the H-2B program (i.e., temporary nonagricultural worker visas) as the greater of (1) the actual wage paid by the employer to other employees with similar experience and qualifications in the same location, or (2) the prevailing wage for the occupational classification in the geographic area, based on the best information available at the time of petition filing. The section further requires the Secretary to accept private wage surveys for this purpose, even when Occupational Employment Statistics data are available, unless the survey's methodology and data lack statistical support.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to enforce the Department of Labor's (DOL) definitions of corresponding employment (20 CFR 655.5)—i.e., U.S. worker jobs affected by H-2B hiring—and the three-fourths guarantee rule (20 CFR 655.20)—i.e., H-2B workers' entitlement to three-fourths of contracted hours or wages—in the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker program, or any references thereto. The section further directs use of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) definition of temporary need (8 CFR 214.2(h)(6)(ii)(B))—i.e., a one-time or seasonal need not exceeding 12 months—for regulating H-2B worker admissions.

This section authorizes the Secretary, notwithstanding other laws, to furnish up to $450,000 of excess personal property—valued as determined by the Secretary—to apprenticeship programs via grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements for apprentice training.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to employ law enforcement officers or special agents to provide security protection for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary—including during official duties and preliminary or postliminary activities, continuous protection if there is an articulable threat of physical harm, incidental protection for accompanying individuals under threat, and protection for other senior officers (including nominees) if there is an articulable threat, all in accordance with Secretary guidelines. Such officers or agents may (1) carry firearms; (2) conduct criminal investigations into potential threats; (3) make warrantless arrests for U.S. offenses committed in their presence; (4) perform protective intelligence, including threat mitigation and advance security reviews; and (5) coordinate with local law enforcement, subject to Attorney General and Secretary guidelines and notwithstanding restrictions on hiring under 31 U.S.C. 1343(b)(1). The section also amends section 11 of the Act of March 4, 1913 (ch. 141, 37 Stat. 736), creating the Department of Labor, to except the new section 12 from its effective date provisions.

This section authorizes the Secretary to dispose of or divest, by any means including agreements or partnerships to construct new Job Corps centers, all or part of the real property on which the Treasure Island Job Corps Center and the Gary Job Corps Center (in San Marcos, Texas) are situated. Such dispositions are exempt from federal laws and regulations on real property disposition and procurement (including 40 U.S.C. ch. 5 subch. III, 42 U.S.C. ch. 119 subch. V, and 41 U.S.C. div. C subtitle I ch. 33), with net proceeds available until expended for Job Corps programs (i.e., residential education and vocational training for at-risk youth ages 16-24) on Treasure Island and in and around San Marcos, Texas, respectively.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to (1) alter or terminate the Interagency Agreement between the Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture or (2) close any Civilian Conservation Centers—Job Corps centers operated by the USDA Forest Service that provide at-risk youth with conservation-related vocational training—except if the closure is required to protect student health and safety, program capacity is preserved, and requirements of sec. 159(j) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are met.

This section sets the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program under 20 CFR 655.120(b) at the level in effect on January 31, 2023, for the two-year period beginning on the date of enactment. (The AEWR is the minimum wage that H-2A employers must pay nonimmigrant workers to protect wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce three Department of Labor rules related to the H-2A program (i.e., temporary visas for foreign agricultural workers): (1) the final rule on Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for H-2A nonimmigrants in non-range occupations (88 Fed. Reg. 12760, effective March 30, 2023); (2) joint employer requirements under 20 CFR 655.131(b); or (3) the final rule on improving protections for workers in temporary agricultural employment (89 Fed. Reg. 33898, effective June 28, 2024).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce the Department of Labor's final rule entitled "Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act" (89 Fed. Reg. 1638, effective March 11, 2024). (The rule adopts a six-factor economic reality test to determine whether workers are employees entitled to Fair Labor Standards Act protections such as minimum wage and overtime pay, or independent contractors.)

This section prohibits using funds appropriated by this Act to close, consolidate, or reduce operations at any Job Corps center—which provides residential education and vocational training to at-risk youth aged 16-24—unless the Secretary of Labor certifies to the House Committee on Appropriations that the action will not (1) increase the local youth unemployment rate; (2) increase rates of homelessness in the region served by the center; (3) shift costs to state or municipal governments or nonprofit entities for housing, education, or retraining of displaced students; or (4) negatively affect local public safety, including increases in youth crime or incarceration.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated in this title to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other extramural mechanism, at a rate exceeding Executive Level II. It further specifies that such funds shall not be used to prevent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from paying up to 100 percent of an individual's salary at that rate.

This section prohibits the expenditure of appropriated funds pursuant to section 241 of the Public Health Service Act—which authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transfer funds among HHS appropriations accounts—prior to submission of a report by the HHS Secretary to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations detailing planned uses of such funds. Exceptions apply to funds specifically appropriated in this Act and to other taps and assessments made by any HHS office.

This section directs the Secretary to make available, as determined by the Secretary but not more than 2.5%, of amounts appropriated for programs authorized under the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) for evaluating (directly or by grants or contracts) the implementation and effectiveness of programs funded in this title, notwithstanding section 241(a) of the PHS Act.

This section authorizes the transfer of up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated for HHS for the current fiscal year between appropriations, with no single appropriation increased by more than 3% by such transfers. The authority prohibits creating new programs or funding projects or activities not provided for in this Act and requires at least 15 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

This section revises the timeframe under section 338E(c)(2) of the Public Health Service Act for terminating certain National Health Service Corps (NHSC) service obligations upon award of an NHSC Scholarship Program contract (sec. 338B) in FY2026, permitting such terminations up to 60 days after the new contract's effective date or at any time if the recipient has not received funds due under the contract, in lieu of the timeframe otherwise specified. (As background, the NHSC Scholarship Program awards scholarships to eligible students pursuing primary care health professions in exchange for service in health professional shortage areas; sec. 338E(c) authorizes termination of prior NHSC or similar obligations when a new contract is awarded.)

This section conditions the availability of funds appropriated by this Act for title X of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., the federal family planning services program) on applicants' certification to the Secretary that they encourage family participation in minors' decisions to seek such services and provide counseling to minors on how to resist attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activities.

This section eliminates any exemption for providers of services under title X of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., the federal family planning program) from state laws requiring notification or reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, or incest.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act, including to any trust fund, to carry out the Medicare Advantage program if the Secretary of Health and Human Services denies participation in the program to an otherwise eligible entity—including a Provider Sponsored Organization (PSO)—solely because the entity refuses to provide, pay for, cover, or refer for abortions. The Secretary must make prospective adjustments to capitation payments to such an entity based on an actuarially sound estimate of the expected costs of those services for its enrollees. The provision does not alter Medicare coverage of such services, and the Medicare Advantage organization must inform enrollees where to obtain information about all Medicare-covered services.

This section directs the Secretary to make available through assignment not more than 60 Public Health Service employees to assist in child survival activities (i.e., international efforts to reduce child mortality through vaccinations, nutrition, and disease prevention) and to work in AIDS programs using funds provided by the Agency for International Development, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or the World Health Organization.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for FY2026 international health activities (including HIV/AIDS, other infectious diseases, chronic and environmental diseases, and other health activities abroad), to (1) exercise authority equivalent to that of the Secretary of State under section 2(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, subject to consultation with the Secretary of State and relevant Chiefs of Mission; (2) provide funds by advance or reimbursement to the Secretary of State for acquisition, lease, alteration, renovation, and management of facilities outside the U.S. for HHS use and, through grants or cooperative agreements, make funds available to public or nonprofit entities in participating foreign countries for similar facilities; and (3) provide HHS personnel serving abroad with allowances and benefits similar to those under chapter 9 of title I of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and 22 U.S.C. §§4081-4086 (including locality-based comparability pay up to the D.C. rate under 5 U.S.C. §5304 and leave under specified statutes).

This section authorizes the Directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of AIDS Research to transfer up to 3% of total funding identified for HIV research among NIH institutes and centers, subject to at least 15 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

This section directs that, of the amounts appropriated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funds for HIV-related research—as jointly determined by the NIH Director and the Director of the Office of AIDS Research (OAR)—be made available to the OAR account. The OAR Director shall transfer from that account the amounts necessary to carry out section 2353(d)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., specified HIV/AIDS research coordination and transfer authorities).

This section (1) authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use funds authorized under section 402(b)(12) of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act)—which supports research to expand the understanding of complex biological systems (i.e., systems biology research)—for transactions other than contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants to carry out research identified pursuant to or described in that section, and (2) permits the Director to use alternative peer review procedures (including consultation with scientific experts) for such transactions, in lieu of standard PHS Act peer review and advisory council requirements.

This section authorizes not more than $100 million of funds appropriated by this Act to the institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health for alteration, repair, or improvement of facilities necessary for authorized activities, with no project exceeding $5 million.

This section directs that 1% of funds available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for National Research Service Awards (NRSA)—which support pre- and postdoctoral research training in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences—be made available to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator for NRSA awards in primary medical care research to individuals affiliated with entities receiving grants or contracts under §§736 (Primary Care Training and Enhancement), 739 (General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics), or 747 (Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Education) of the Public Health Service Act; and that another 1% of such NRSA funds be made available to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director for NRSA awards in health services research.

This section authorizes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to enter into multi-year contracts, for 2 to 10 program years, for research services or security countermeasures (as defined in section 319F–2(c)(1)(B) of the Public Health Service Act) if funds are available and obligated for the full period (or first fiscal year) and estimated termination costs, and the HHS Secretary determines a multi-year contract serves the federal government's best interests by encouraging competition or promoting economy in BARDA programs. Such contracts must include a termination clause per 41 U.S.C. 3903(c) and be subject to the congressional notice requirement in 41 U.S.C. 3903(d).

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish in the FY2027 budget justification and on departmental websites information on full-time equivalent (FTE) federal employees and contractors implementing, administering, enforcing, or carrying out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its amendments, for the proposed fiscal year and each fiscal year since the ACA's 2010 enactment. For employees and contractors supported by ACA-appropriated funds, the information must include, at a minimum, for each fiscal year and funded ACA provision: (1) the appropriating section, program/project/activity description, administering federal operating division or office, and discretionary or mandatory funding amount; and (2) the number of FTE or contracted employees assigned. The Secretary may exclude employees or contractors supported by non-ACA appropriations on pre-ACA programs, those spending less than 50% of time on ACA-funded or newly authorized activities, or those on contracts without FTE reporting requirements (e.g., fixed-price contracts).

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish, as part of the President's FY2027 budget submission, details on all uses of funds by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) specifically for Health Insurance Exchanges (i.e., ACA Marketplaces) for each fiscal year since ACA enactment, as well as proposed FY2027 uses. Such information must include, for each fiscal year, the amount of funds used for each activity specified under the heading “Health Insurance Exchange Transparency” in the report accompanying this Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund, or transferred to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services–Program Management account for payments under the Affordable Care Act risk corridors program (i.e., section 1342(b)(1) of P.L. 111–148). (The risk corridors program shared profits and losses with qualified health plans in the individual market for plan years 2014–2016 to stabilize premiums.)

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to transfer funds appropriated under section 4002 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)—which established the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) for HHS prevention and public health activities—to the accounts, in the amounts, and for the activities specified under the heading “Prevention and Public Health Fund” in the report accompanying this Act, within 45 days of enactment. The section prohibits further transfers of these amounts, notwithstanding ACA section 4002(c). Funds transferred for activities authorized under section 2821 of the Public Health Service Act are available without regard to section 2821(b).

This section requires, effective from November 1, 2015, through January 1, 2028, that any provision of law referring (including through cross-references) to current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with respect to breast cancer screening, mammography, and prevention be administered by the relevant Secretary as if referring to the USPSTF's recommendations last issued before 2009. Those pre-2009 recommendations are further deemed to apply to any screening mammography modality under SSA §1861(jj) (i.e., Medicare-covered outpatient screening mammography services).

This section authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to transfer funds for opioid addiction, opioid alternatives, stimulant misuse and addiction, pain management, and addiction treatment to other NIH institutes and centers for the same purposes, 15 days after notifying the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. Such transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority available under law.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations with (1) detailed monthly enrollment figures from health insurance Exchanges established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act pertaining to open enrollment periods and (2) notification of any new or competitive grant awards, including supplements, under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., community health center grants). It further requires those committees to receive at least two business days' advance notice prior to any public release of the enrollment information or grant awards.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to transfer up to $455 million from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management account for Medicare-related program management activities. Such funds may not support any provision of Public Law 111–148 or Public Law 111–152 (or amendments made by either) or supplant other amounts in the account.

This section authorizes funds appropriated in this Act for salaries and expenses of Department of Health and Human Services employees to also pay travel and related expenses for such an employee or a family member assigned to duty in the United States or a U.S. territory during a public health emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, when necessary to obtain medical care unavailable locally. U.S. territory is defined as Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

This section authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to accept donations from the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and other non-federal groups for the care of unaccompanied alien children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families. (As background, ORR provides shelter, medical care, and other services to unaccompanied alien children—minors who enter or are apprehended in the United States without parents or legal guardians.) Donations may include medical goods and services (e.g., early childhood developmental screenings), school supplies, toys, clothing, and other items to promote the children's wellbeing.

This section requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 15 days before operationalizing an unlicensed influx facility for unaccompanied alien children, specifying (1) whether the facility is hard-sided or soft-sided and (2) providing analysis demonstrating that, absent the facility, children would likely remain in Department of Homeland Security custody longer than 72 hours or face danger. Within 60 days of bringing the facility online, and monthly thereafter, the Secretary must report to the committees on the total number of children in care, average length of stay and care, and—for any child remaining over 60 days—their length of stay and reason for delayed release.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to prevent a U.S. Senator or House Member from entering, for oversight purposes, any U.S. facility housing unaccompanied alien children (UAC)—as defined in section 462(g)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2))—provided the member coordinates the visit with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at least two business days in advance to avoid interfering with facility operations, including child welfare and safety.

This section directs the Secretary to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and make publicly available online, a report not later than 14 days after enactment and monthly thereafter on children separated from parents or legal guardians by DHS, subsequently classified as unaccompanied alien children, and transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the prior month. Each report must include (1) the number and ages of such children separated after apprehension at or between ports of entry, reported by sector of separation; and (2) the documented cause of separation, as reported by DHS at referral.

This section authorizes funds appropriated in this Act for salaries and expenses of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees to also be used for primary and secondary schooling of eligible dependents of CDC personnel stationed in a U.S. territory (i.e., Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands), at costs not exceeding those paid or reimbursed by the Department of Defense.

This section amends the Community Services Block Grant Act by (1) removing limitations on the private business enterprise program under section 675C(a)—which supports loans, equity investments, and other financing in private businesses owned or controlled by community development corporations to employ low-income residents—by striking paragraph (3) and its cross-reference in paragraph (2); and (2) authorizing discretionary funds under section 680(a)(2) for financing construction and rehabilitation, and loans or investments, in private business enterprises (including those owned by community development corporations), with procedures allowing grantees to retain intangible assets (e.g., loans, equity investments) and program income as their sole property after not more than 12 years for any eligible antipoverty purpose under section 680(a)(2)(A). (Thus, eligible entities gain long-term flexibility to recycle investment returns into ongoing community services.)

This section rescinds $1,613,000,000 of unobligated balances from the Nonrecurring Expenses Fund—established under section 223 of division G of Public Law 110-161 to finance nonrecurring Department of Homeland Security expenses such as major information technology acquisitions—not later than September 30, 2026, excluding amounts previously designated by Congress as emergency requirements pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. From any remaining unobligated balances in the fund, it further (1) authorizes the Secretary to transfer up to $30,000,000 to General Departmental Management for cybersecurity; (2) permits the Secretary to obligate fund amounts for any program, project, or activity for which a notification was submitted before enactment; (3) authorizes the Secretary to transfer amounts into the fund, with such transferred amounts available for purposes specified in this section or for which a notification was submitted to the Committees on Appropriations before enactment; and (4) specifies that this transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

This section prohibits the National Institutes of Health from using funds provided by this Act to pay facilities and administration costs exceeding 30% of an award to a private college or university subject to the excise tax on net investment income under IRC §4968 (i.e., those with at least $500,000 endowment per student).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act, or in any related trust fund, for any hospital or entity administering a postgraduate physician training program or other health professions training program that (1) provides or requires training in performing, assisting, counseling for, or referring for induced abortions without participants first voluntarily opting in; or (2) discriminates against participants who do not opt in or perform such activities. Subsection (b) clarifies that the prohibition does not authorize any otherwise unlawful training.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act, directly or indirectly (including through states or managed care contracts), to a prohibited entity. A prohibited entity is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that qualifies as an essential community provider primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related care (per 45 C.F.R. §156.235); that performs or funds abortions except in cases of rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother (including life-endangering conditions caused by the pregnancy); and that received more than $23 million in Title X grants in FY2016 (i.e., grants under the Public Health Service Act for voluntary family planning services). The prohibition ends upon the entity's certification that it and its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics will not perform or fund such abortions, with the HHS Secretary required to seek repayment of any federal assistance received by an entity that violates such certification.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to establish, support, administer, oversee, or issue a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for providing information on, promoting access to, or facilitating an abortion.

This section prohibits using funds appropriated by this Act to require any project under Title X of the Public Health Service Act—family planning services—to refer for abortions. It further prohibits requiring Title X providers to operate in conflict with state laws limiting referrals for abortion or pregnancy counseling.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce Executive Order 14076 (Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services) or Executive Order 14079 (Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services).

This section prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from using funds appropriated by this or any prior or subsequent appropriations act, or any Treasury fee collections available to the department, to enforce the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination for staff at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified healthcare facilities (86 Fed. Reg. 61555), or any substantially similar rule.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce Executive Order 13988 (Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act for any social, psychological, behavioral, or medical intervention performed to intentionally change an individual's body—including by disrupting its development, inhibiting its natural functions, or modifying its appearance—so that it no longer corresponds to the individual's biological sex.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to issue or implement as a final rule the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule titled “Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities,” published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 47824), which relates to nondiscrimination requirements under section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or any successor or substantially similar rule.

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce the final rule entitled “Designated Placement Requirements Under Titles IV-E and IV-B for LGBTQI+ Children” (89 Fed. Reg. 34818; effective July 1, 2024) or any successor or substantially similar rule. (Titles IV-E and IV-B of the Social Security Act authorize federal funding for foster care, adoption assistance, and child welfare services.)

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce the final rule entitled “Unaccompanied Children Program Foundational Rule” (89 Fed. Reg. 34384, effective July 1, 2024) or any successor or substantially similar rule. (As background, the rule updates policies and procedures for the Unaccompanied Children Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, which provides care, shelter, and placement services for unaccompanied alien children pending immigration proceedings.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to place an unaccompanied alien child with a sponsor if the child has been convicted of a crime or has a pending criminal charge relating to gang affiliation or activity in the United States or the child's country of origin or country of last habitual residence.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce the final rule titled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting” (89 Fed. Reg. 40876, effective June 21, 2024) or any successor or substantially similar rule. (As background, the rule sets minimum direct care staffing standards—e.g., 3.48 hours per resident day—for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified long-term care facilities, or nursing homes, and requires states to report Medicaid institutional payment details.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce the final rule entitled “Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage” (89 Fed. Reg. 23338, effective June 17, 2024) or any successor or substantially similar rule. (As background, the rule limits short-term, limited-duration insurance—temporary plans exempt from many Affordable Care Act consumer protections—to a maximum initial duration of three months (renewable for one additional month); thus, the prohibition maintains prior rules allowing longer durations of up to 36 months.)

This section prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from using funds appropriated by this Act to declare a public health emergency under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act or to issue any related order that impedes, limits, or restricts a citizen's Second Amendment rights.

This section establishes a new section 245A in Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) authorizing civil actions by qualified parties (i.e., U.S. Attorney General, state attorneys general, or any adversely affected persons or entities) against federal agencies or recipients/subrecipients of federal assistance—including state governmental entities—for designated violations without exhausting administrative remedies. Designated violations are actual or threatened violations of section 507(d) of Division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (or substantially similar provisions), or any federal funding conditions imposed pursuant thereto. (As background, section 507(d) prohibits use of appropriated funds to perform or promote performance of an experimental or unproven medical procedure or drug on minors outside clinical trials that have completed phase 3 for FDA approval, absent case-specific determinations of medical necessity.) Available relief includes injunctive relief, declaratory relief, compensatory damages (even against governmental entities), and attorneys' fees and costs for prevailing plaintiffs. The section abrogates state sovereign immunity under the Tenth or Eleventh Amendments or other law.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer, implement, or enforce changes made by the final rule titled "Improving Child Care Access, Affordability, and Stability in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)" (effective April 30, 2024) to 45 CFR 98.16(z) (copayment maximums, capped at 7% of family income) and 98.30(b)(1) (alternative methodologies for determining child care payment rates to ensure equal access). (As background, CCDF provides block grants to states and territories to subsidize child care for low-income families.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to place an unaccompanied alien child with an alien sponsor who has not been admitted under the Immigration and Nationality Act (i.e., lawfully entered after inspection and authorization) or who is deportable under such Act.

This section prohibits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from using funds appropriated by this Act for research on gunshot injury or mortality prevention that treats firearm crimes as a public health epidemic—including advocacy, promotion, or study of firearm restrictions, bans, confiscation, registration, disenfranchisement, or other gun control measures—but permits research on medical procedures, practices, treatments, medicines, and therapies related to gunshot injuries and recovery.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for research on vertebrate animals to study the effects of drugs, surgery, or other interventions that alter the human body (including by disrupting its development, inhibiting its natural functions, or modifying its appearance) to no longer correspond to its biological sex.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement CMS-5056-N, “Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model,” or any similar model that imposes prior authorization requirements in traditional Medicare (i.e., Medicare Parts A and B).

This section authorizes transfers of up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated for the Department of Education in this Act between such appropriations, provided no single appropriation is increased by more than 3% by any such transfer. Transfers may not be used to create new programs or fund projects or activities for which no funds are provided in this Act, and the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations must be notified at least 15 days in advance.

This section authorizes institutions of higher education to use income from endowment funds supported by FY2026 appropriations under titles III or V of the Higher Education Act (HEA)—which provide grants to strengthen minority-serving institutions (MSIs), such as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs)—to award scholarships to students, subject to the limitation in HEA §331(c)(3)(B)(i). It retroactively validates such prior uses of that income and sunsets this authority upon reauthorization of HEA titles III and V.

This section makes funds appropriated in this Act under the heading “Student Aid Administration” available for payments to institutions of higher education that service outstanding Federal Perkins Loans under part E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. (Federal Perkins Loans are low-interest federal student loans previously available to undergraduates and graduates demonstrating exceptional financial need, with schools acting as lenders and servicers for existing loans.)

This section authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve not more than 0.5% of amounts made available in this Act for Higher Education Act (HEA) programs—except subpart 1 of part A of title IV (Pell Grants)—to carry out rigorous, independent evaluations and to collect and analyze outcome data for HEA programs, with reserved funds available through September 30, 2028. The section excludes funds in the Student Aid Administration account from this reservation authority; permits additional reservations for programs already subject to evaluation set-asides under other law, provided total reservations do not exceed statutory limits; and requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees, at least 30 days prior to obligating reserved funds, a plan identifying the source and amount reserved, impacts on program grantees, and planned activities.

This section makes up to $13 million of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) appropriation available for the Secretary of Education to provide support services to IES (e.g., information technology, human resources, financial management, legal counsel, and facilities management). It requires the Secretary to calculate actual costs using a standard Department of Education methodology and authorizes (1) transfers of any excess IES support services funds to the Program Administration account and (2) transfers from the Program Administration account to cover any IES support services shortfall, with at least 14 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

This section rescinds $197 million of unobligated balances from the Department of Education Nonrecurring Expenses Fund—established under section 313 of division H of Public Law 116-260 for nonrecurring expenses such as information technology modernization—not later than September 30, 2026. From any remaining unobligated balances in the fund, the section further authorizes the Secretary of Education to (1) transfer up to $15 million to Student Aid Administration for information technology, to remain available through September 30, 2027; (2) obligate funds for any program, project, or activity for which a notification was submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations before enactment; and (3) transfer additional amounts into the fund, with such amounts available for purposes specified in this section or previously notified to the committees, and with this transfer authority in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to provide financial assistance to any educational institution that allows an individual whose sex is male—as determined solely by reproductive biology and genetics at birth—to participate in an athletic program or activity designated for women or girls.

This section prohibits the Department of Education from using funds appropriated by this Act or any prior or subsequent appropriations Act to enforce specified rules and interpretations related to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs receiving federal financial assistance. The specified items are (1) the final rule titled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance” (89 Fed. Reg. 33474; effective August 1, 2024), (2) the proposed rule titled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams” (88 Fed. Reg. 22860; published April 13, 2023), (3) the notice of interpretation titled “Enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 With Respect to Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Light of Bostock v. Clayton County” (86 Fed. Reg. 32637; published June 22, 2021), and (4) any substantially similar rule or interpretation.

This section prohibits the provision of any funds made available under this Act to public institutions of higher education that deny a religious student organization any right, benefit, or privilege—including full access to facilities and official recognition—otherwise afforded to other student organizations due to the religious organization's beliefs, practices, speech, leadership standards, or standards of conduct.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce specified Department of Education regulations—or any substantially similar actions—relating to student loan debt discharge, income-driven repayment plans, borrower defense to repayment, the 90/10 rule (i.e., requiring for-profit colleges to receive at least 10% of revenue from non-federal sources), financial value transparency and gainful employment, and proposed broad debt relief for Direct, FFEL, Perkins, and HEAL loans. The prohibited regulations are: (1) debt discharge modifications published October 12, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 61514); (2) income-based and income-driven repayment amendments published July 10, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 43820); (3) borrower defense amendments published November 1, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 65904); (4) 90/10 rule additions and amendments published October 28, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 65426); (5) financial value transparency and gainful employment provisions published October 10, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 70004); and (6) the proposed debt relief rule published April 17, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 27564).

This section prohibits local education agencies from using funds provided by this Act to conduct student-involved active shooter drills in schools unless students under 16 years of age are provided the opportunity to opt out with parental or legal guardian consent.

This section requires the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to implement any significant changes to program requirements, service delivery, or policy through public notice-and-comment rulemaking. It further prohibits CNCS officers or employees from knowingly disclosing covered grant selection information during any FY2026 grant selection process, except to other authorized CNCS personnel.

This section requires AmeriCorps programs receiving grants under the National Service Trust (i.e., the account funding education awards for national service participants) to meet an overall minimum non-federal share requirement of 24% for the first three years of funding. Thereafter, such programs must meet the overall minimum share requirement specified in 45 CFR 2521.60—without regard to the operating costs match requirement in section 121(e) or member support federal share limitations in section 140 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990—and subject to partial waiver under 45 CFR 2521.70.

This section requires donations made to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) under section 196 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 for financing programs and operations under titles I and II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or subtitles B, C, D, or E of title I of the 1990 Act to supplement, and not supplant, current programs and operations.

This section limits use of a national service educational award for repayment of qualified student loans (i.e., as described in section 148(a)(4) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990) to veterans (as defined in section 101 of the Act), in addition to the requirements of section 146(a) of such Act. (Thus, non-veteran national service participants may not use their awards for that purpose.)

This section, for purposes of carrying out section 189D of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, (1) deems entities described in subsection (a) as qualified entities under the National Child Protection Act of 1993 (NCPA); (2) deems individuals described therein as volunteers under the NCPA; and (3) authorizes State Commissions on National and Community Service to receive criminal history record information consistent with Public Law 92-544. (Thus, facilitating national criminal background checks for volunteers in specified national service programs involving children.)

This section establishes eligibility for a national service education award (i.e., Segal AmeriCorps Education Award) equal to 70% of the full award value under section 147(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 for individuals who complete at least 1,200 hours of service within one year, notwithstanding restrictions in sections 139(b), 146, and 147 of the Act. (Thus, it enables a partial award for service terms shorter than the standard full-time minimum of 1,700 hours.)

This section prohibits the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from using appropriated funds to issue any new administrative directive or regulation authorizing electronic voting by employees in representation elections to determine collective bargaining representatives.

This section authorizes the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to transfer unexpended balances of prior appropriations to corresponding accounts for current appropriations provided in this Act, for the same purposes and periods as originally appropriated.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or transferred pursuant to section 4002 of Public Law 111-148 for publicity or propaganda designed to support or defeat legislation, regulations, or executive actions before Congress or state or local bodies (except presentations to those bodies themselves) or to pay salaries or expenses of grant or contract recipients for activities influencing such matters (except normal executive-legislative relations). The prohibitions expressly encompass advocacy or promotion of any proposed, pending, or future federal, state, or local tax increases or requirements or restrictions on legal consumer products, including their sale or marketing and gun control measures.

This section authorizes the Secretaries of Labor and Education to use not to exceed $28,000 and $20,000, respectively, from salaries and expenses funds under titles I and III for official reception and representation expenses; authorizes the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to use not to exceed $5,000 from agency salaries and expenses funds for such expenses; and authorizes the Chairman of the National Mediation Board to use not to exceed $5,000 from agency salaries and expenses funds for such expenses.

This section requires grantees receiving Federal funds provided in this Act—including state and local governments and recipients of Federal research grants—to clearly state within statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal funds (1) the percentage of total costs financed with Federal money, (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program, and (3) the percentage and dollar amount of total costs financed by non-governmental sources.

This section prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act, and funds in any trust fund to which funds are appropriated in this Act, for (1) any abortion and (2) health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. The term health benefits coverage means the package of services covered by a managed care provider or organization pursuant to a contract or other arrangement.

This section provides exceptions to the abortion funding limitations established in the preceding section for (1) pregnancies resulting from an act of rape or incest; or (2) cases where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness—including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself—that, as certified by a physician, places her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. It clarifies that such limitations do not prohibit the expenditure of state, local, or private funds (other than a state's or locality's Medicaid matching funds) for abortions or restrict managed care providers from offering abortion coverage or states or localities from separately contracting for such coverage using state funds (other than Medicaid matching funds). The section further prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for any federal agency or program, or state or local government, that discriminates against any institutional or individual health care entity (e.g., physicians, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, or health insurance plans) on the basis that the entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.204(b) and section 498B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b)). For purposes of this section, the term "human embryo or embryos" includes any organism, not protected as a human subject under 45 CFR 46 as of the date of enactment, that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other means from one or more human gametes or human diploid cells.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act for any activity promoting the legalization of a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), except for normal executive-congressional communications. The prohibition does not apply if there is significant medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage for the substance or if federally sponsored clinical trials are being conducted to test such an advantage.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to promulgate or adopt any final standard under section 1173(b) of the Social Security Act for, or for the assignment of, a unique health identifier for an individual (except in that individual's capacity as an employer or health care provider) until Congress enacts legislation specifically approving the standard. (As background, section 1173(b) of the Social Security Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt standards for unique identifiers to support HIPAA electronic health care transactions; no unique identifier standard for individuals/patients has been adopted due to privacy concerns.)

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds made available by this Act to enter into or renew a contract with an entity that (1) is a federal contractor subject to the annual reporting requirement under 38 U.S.C. 4212(d) and (2) has not submitted the required report to the Secretary of Labor for the most recent applicable year. (As background, 38 U.S.C. 4212(d)—part of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act—requires certain federal contractors to submit an annual VETS-4212 report detailing their recruitment, hiring, and retention of protected veterans, including disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Armed Forces service medal veterans, and other protected veterans.)

This section prohibits the transfer of any funds appropriated by this Act to another department, agency, or instrumentality of the U.S. government, except as expressly authorized by this Act or another appropriations Act.

This section conditions funding provided by this Act for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) on certifications of compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) for libraries covered by LSTA section 224(f)(1) (i.e., those receiving LSTA assistance for internet access, internal connections, or basic maintenance of internet connections).

This section prohibits reprogramming of funds provided under this Act (including prior-year balances available in FY2026 and certain fee collections available to funded agencies) for (1) creating new programs, eliminating a program, increasing funds or personnel for denied or restricted activities, relocating offices or employees, reorganizing or renaming offices or programs, or contracting out federal functions; or (2) exceeding $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less) to augment or reduce by 10% any program, project, activity, or personnel as approved by Congress, or resulting from personnel reductions altering such items—unless the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations are consulted 15 days in advance (or of any announcement of intent) and notified in writing 10 days in advance.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act (1) to request that a candidate for appointment to a federal scientific advisory committee disclose the candidate's political affiliation, voting history, or position on political issues not directly related to and necessary for the committee's work; and (2) to disseminate information that is deliberately false or misleading.

This section requires each department and agency funded under this Act to submit, within 45 days of enactment, an operating plan detailing any FY2026 funding allocations at the program, project, and activity level that differ from those specified in the Act, the detailed table in the committee report accompanying the Act, or the FY2026 budget request.

This section directs the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on non-competitive contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements exceeding $500,000 (individually or in total for a project, activity, or programmatic initiative) awarded by their respective departments during each quarter of FY2026, excluding formula grants or those directed by law. Each report must include the contractor or grantee name, funding amount, governmental purpose, and non-competitive justification, and must be transmitted within 30 days after the quarter's end.

This section prohibits the Commissioner of Social Security from using funds appropriated by this Act to process claims for quarters of coverage toward title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) benefits based on work performed under a social security number that is not the claimant's, if such conduct formed the basis for the claimant's conviction under section 208(a)(6) or (7) of the Social Security Act (i.e., fraudulent use of another person's SSN). (Thus, such claimants cannot receive benefit credits for that work.)

This section prohibits the Social Security Administration from using funds appropriated by this Act to pay employee compensation for administering title II Social Security benefits (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits) payable solely under any U.S.-Mexico totalization agreement. (Totalization agreements allow workers who divide their careers between the two countries to combine credits for benefit eligibility.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless the network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. The prohibition does not apply to funds necessary for federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, or adjudications.

This section provides that, for purposes of Executive Order 13589, OMB Memorandum M–12–12 (May 11, 2012), and annual appropriations requirements on conference attendance and expenditures, (1) the operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are considered independent agencies; and (2) attendance at and support for scientific conferences is tabulated separately from and not included in agency totals.

This section requires federal agencies funded under this Act to clearly state in the text, audio, or video of their advertising or educational communications—including emails and internet postings—that such materials are printed, published, produced, and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense. Funds to implement this requirement must be derived from the agencies' existing appropriations for advertising or other communications regarding agency programs and activities.

This section directs the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Social Security Administration to submit reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, not later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter beginning with the first month of FY2026, on the status of balances of appropriations. For unobligated and uncommitted balances, committed balances, and obligated but unexpended balances, the monthly reports must separately identify amounts attributable to each source year of appropriation beginning with FY2012 (or, to the extent feasible, earlier fiscal years).

This section requires the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to provide the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with a comprehensive list of new or competitive discretionary grant award notifications, including supplements, at least three full business days before announcing recipients (except for emergency response grants at any time or awards made during the last 10 business days of the fiscal year, or applicable program year).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug, except for elements of a program other than such purchases if the relevant state or local health department—in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—determines the jurisdiction is experiencing or at risk for a significant increase in hepatitis infections or an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use and the program operates in accordance with state and local law. The section further prohibits such funds from being used to operate a supervised drug consumption facility that permits onsite consumption of any schedule I controlled substance.

This section extends through September 30, 2030, the period of availability for obligation of amounts appropriated, allocated, advanced on a reimbursable basis, or transferred under this Act to the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services and to the Chief Evaluation Office and statistical-related cooperative and interagency agreements and contracting activities of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Department of Labor for research, evaluation, or statistical purposes. The section further (1) authorizes such offices receiving funding from multiple appropriations to use a single Treasury account with funding advanced on a reimbursable basis; and (2) permits deobligation of unexpended amounts upon completion of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, with such amounts immediately available for reobligation in that fiscal year or the subsequent fiscal year for the specified purposes.

This section permanently rescinds $12.835 billion from the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund under section 2104(n)(2) of the Social Security Act, including income derived from the investment of those funds. (As background, the fund provides 50% federal matching payments to states to cover unexpected increases in Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment costs.)

This section rescinds $183 million in unobligated balances from funds made available by specified sections of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), including sections related to child care, elder care, mental health services, and other health programs. It further directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit a report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees within 60 days of enactment specifying the rescinded amounts by account and appropriation.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or prior appropriations Acts to take discriminatory action against any person based wholly or partially on a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as a union of one man and one woman, notwithstanding 1 U.S.C. §7, 28 U.S.C. §1738C, or any other law. Discriminatory action includes (1) altering federal tax treatment or denying tax-exempt status under IRC §501(a); (2) disallowing deductions for charitable contributions; (3) withholding, reducing, or denying federal grants, contracts, loans, employment, or similar benefits; (4) denying entitlements or benefits under federal programs, including equal treatment in educational programs; or (5) denying access to federal property, facilities, or fundraising campaigns. This section further requires the federal government to deem accredited, licensed, or certified any person who would qualify for such status absent a determination based on the protected belief.

This section prohibits the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, the Commissioner of Social Security, and heads of other agencies funded by this Act from using appropriated funds to fly or display a flag over a federal facility other than (1) the flag of the United States; (2) the flag of a state, territory, or the District of Columbia; (3) the flag of an Indian tribal government or the official flag of a federal agency; (4) the POW/MIA flag; (5) the flag of the Public Health Service; or (6) the flag of the United States Surgeon General.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, enforce, or otherwise carry out eight specified executive orders: (1) Executive Order 13990, relating to Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis; (2) Executive Order 14008, relating to Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; (3) Section 6 of Executive Order 14013, relating to Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration; (4) Executive Order 14030, relating to Climate-Related Financial Risk; (5) Executive Order 14037, relating to Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks; (6) Executive Order 14057, relating to Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability; (7) Executive Order 14082, relating to Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; and (8) Executive Order 14096, relating to Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021 (relating to advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government); Executive Order 14035 of June 25, 2021 (relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal workforce); or Executive Order 14091 of February 16, 2023 (relating to further advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, training, programs, offices, officers, policies, or any program, project, or activity that promotes or advances Critical Race Theory (CRT) or any concept associated with CRT.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for any program, project, or activity that teaches or trains any idea or concept that (1) condones an individual being discriminated against or receiving adverse or beneficial treatment based on race or sex; (2) condones an individual feeling discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of that individual’s race or sex; (3) regards one race as inherently superior to another race; (4) regards the United States or its institutions as being systemically racist or sexist; (5) regards an individual as being inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive by virtue of that individual’s race or sex; (6) regards an individual’s moral character as being necessarily determined by race or sex; (7) regards an individual as bearing responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; or (8) regards meritocracy as racist, sexist, or having been created by a particular race to oppress another race.

This section withholds funds appropriated by this Act from U.S. institutions of higher education unless (1) the institution adopts, in all documents relating to student or employee conduct, a prohibition on antisemitic conduct that creates a hostile environment in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (i.e., the federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs); and (2) the institution takes administrative action against any student, staff member, or student group that commits acts of antisemitism while using the institution's facilities, grounds, or resources.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from being made available to support, directly or indirectly—(1) the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China; (2) EcoHealth Alliance, Inc.; (3) any laboratory owned or controlled by the governments of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela (under Nicolás Maduro), or any other country designated by the Secretary of State as a foreign adversary; or (4) gain-of-function research.

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to enter into procurement contracts, memoranda of understanding, cooperative agreements, grants, loans, or loan guarantees with any entity identified under section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (i.e., Communist Chinese military companies operating in the United States) or any subsidiary of such an entity. (Section 1260H requires the Secretary of Defense to publish and maintain a list of persons owned or controlled by, or affiliated with, the People's Liberation Army or the Chinese military-industrial complex.)

This section prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being made available to any institution of higher education that engages in a partnership or other formalized academic collaboration in STEM fields—including but not limited to a joint institute—with an entity, such as a college or university, that is located, operated, or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of FY2026 funds appropriated by this Act or otherwise available for procuring computers, printers, or interoperable videoconferencing services if the manufacturer, bidder, offeror, or any subsidiary or parent entity thereof is owned in any part by the People's Republic of China. The prohibition also applies to procurements made through third-party contracts.